When I saw the Mavericks were picking Derrick Lively with the 12th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night, I was worried. I’m always a little uneasy about a traditional center in the lottery, at least one who doesn’t profile as having star potential. Cam Whitmore, top five on my board, was still available, though it wasn’t known yet by the general public how detrimental his medicals and interview process were (I’ll still live with my ranking, as many draft experts were unaware of how red flagged his knees and attitude were). I certainly subscribe to the modern NBA attitude that creators and wings are the most valuable pieces.
The Mavericks selection of Dereck Lively is when drafting a center makes sense
